Austin FC

Q2 Stadium, the home ground for Austin FC, opened in June 2021. The venue has a capacity of 20,500 and covers a 465,000 square foot area. The Q2 stadium was constructed for £260 million. The first game at the venue was a friendly match between the USWNT and Nigeria’s Super Falcons.

The two stands positioned behind the goals are single tier with the side stands two-tiered; all four of them are tight to the pitch with a sharp incline to the back rows. Then, to finish the seating off, there are three low-backed corners giving the stadium a close to fully connected feel; the one exception is the southeast corner, which is left open.

The two-tiered West Stand has black-bricked executive boxes positioned between the tiers; in here you’ll find a mix of plush bars for event hosting and smaller, well-designed ‘at home feel’ areas where groups of fewer fans can gather together. Where the stands behind the goals are concerned you have two contrasting styles. One side is all seated whilst the other end is the ‘supporters’ section. This is an area designated for 3,500 standing-only fans; behind which are large screens for advertising and incident replays

One of the standout features of the ground is the open-sided stands; these are created with the stadium roofing being held above the seats courtesy of steel poles. Rather than having corrugated iron backings like a lot of stadia, they have left this space open. This allows more light and air into the stadium.

Finally, you have a silver roof, which holds a unique appearance. The four stands all have roofing that runs level around the pitch but the side stands then double back on themselves to sit above the end stands in almost a ‘taco shape’. This may sound odd but is visually striking from the outside. Inside the stadium, the roof comes a long way over the crowd, which adds to the atmosphere as the noise rattles back down to the field of play.

If you’re a fan who likes to enjoy a bite to eat or a beverage then the Q2 Stadium will have you well stocked for options. For starters, you’ve got the food and drink venues in or directly outside the stadium – these fall under the ownership of Austin FC.

The main attraction is located behind the North Stand; you’ve got a mammoth club shop with a third-floor ‘beer hall’ offering views across the pitch. This is available to home and away fans but we’d recommend booking tickets ahead. You’ve then got another three options of ‘lounge-style bars’ inside the ground.

Outside the stadium, there is a plethora of places to get your pre (or post-match fix. To the south of the stadium, three breweries-come-bars are within a mile stroll of the Q2 and, to the north, there are two that are even closer. With regards to eateries, there are plenty of takeaway and sit-in choices all around the ground; you can take your pick from American, Mexican, Italian cuisine and more.

Austin FC are keen to give themselves a mental boost when it comes to the positioning of the players’ tunnel. This is located in the southwest corner meaning players will enter the pitch next to the ‘hardcore’ standing fans. The away seats are located diagonally opposite i.e. in the northeast corner.

The positioning might not be perfect for ‘fan banter’, but it does mean the atmosphere should be more widespread rather than contained in one section of the stadium. Another big positive from an away fans’ perspective is the fact that you are close to the main entrance to the stadium. This will mean you’re very close to the main ‘beer hall’.

The easiest way of getting to the ground is via a train. Currently, the nearest Metro Rail stop is Kramer Station, which is approximately a 20-minute walk from the stadium. It’s not a bad walk though with the route taking you down Kramer Lane and past the Hopsquad and the Circle Brewery, which are two of the drinkers options we touched on earlier, on West Braker Lane.

The other most common option for travel is via car. A car park directly outside of the Q2 stadium makes it convenient to park near the stadium. Other parking options are located north of the stadium, on the opposite side of Braker Lane; the closest is around a 10-minute walk. In terms of driving instructions, the main thing to note is that it’s highly likely that you will need to navigate the Mopac Expressway.

If you’d rather not deal with travelling on matchday, there are a few hotels near the Q2 Stadium. The closest is Lone Star Court, which is just a 10-minute walk. It’s a four-star rated hotel complete with a swimming pool and fire pits making it a great place to relax before or after a match; expect to pay in the region of $200 per night.

A more budget-friendly option is the Home2 Suites by Hilton. They’re located about twice as far away as Lone Star Court and offer a much more simplistic stay but at around $125 per night, you do save a fair whack.

Locally, Austin FC has two many rivals namely:

• FC Dallas
• Houston Dynamo

Note that the rivalry between Austin FC and Houston Dynamo FC is regarded as one of the first in Major League Soccer. It started in 2021 when Austin FC joined the MLS, disrupting an original rivalry that had pitted FC Dallas against Houston Dynamo.

Interestingly, there has been no draw between these teams since their first meeting on August 2021, noting that 12 matches have been played between these teams until September 2023. That is three years during which the matchup has not ended in a stalemate.

However, the rivalry between Austin FC and Dallas F that also started in August 2021 has yielded two draws after 12 meetings.

Q2 Stadium was opened in June 2021 and has since staged several MLS matches.

The MLS 2024 season is almost over, noting that Austin FC have two games left to play. They face LA Galaxy away from home on 6 October 2024 and the final match of the current season will be at home on 20 October 2024 when they host Colorado Rapids at the Q2 stadium.

Since the Q2 stadium was opened in 2021, it has sold our 62 MLS matches, with a record attendance exceeding the maximum capacity of 20,500.

Record Attendance

20, 738

Average Attendance

20, 500